Phrenology: E-Lunar (3) Route A (MANUSCRIPT)

Chapter 1: Turn 5

    After a few hours of driving some more, it was decided that the three of them (Cravius, Marian, and Tanaka) would all stop off at a nice place to eat. Marian enjoyed but a glass of tea whilst Tanaka and Cravius scarfed down some enchiladas in a local Hispanic restaurant. The two men seemed to be competing as to who could eat the fastest- Seemed so, anyway.

     "Wow, that's pretty wild. If only you could drive that fast, kid!" Cravius watched his opponent scarf down the meal quicker. 

    "Hm." Tanaka then let out a rumbling, ripping burp. 

    "Rude!" Marian frowned. 

    "Haha, good boy!" Cravius, his throat gruff and damaged, high-fived Tanaka. "Ah, so, anyway, Tanaka, I've been meaning to ask. What's your... motivation for driving? What makes you wanna get out there and get behind the wheel so much?" 

    "Ah, well, to be honest... there's no particular reason. It was just... illegal in Little Japan, thanks to, well, that organization... and, well, that got in the way of me seeing my friends! Moreover, it got in the way of me being able to get any jobs. You see, at my school, I'm able to be a part of the cooking club, but -- my freshman year... I'm a senior now -- I wanted to do so much more. I wanted to be involved in so many things around this community. Little Japan is my home, after all, but... constantly having to depend on the people to drive me everywhere- That really started to get out of hand. My parents, well, they couldn't really keep up as much as I wanted them to. Driving is- It's a serious step into adulthood. It's a serious step into being reliable." 

    Cravius nodded, putting two fingers to the blue hairs on his chin. "I see. You have an okay relationship with your parents?" 

    "Somewhat. I don't usually talk about them a whole lo-" 

    "They're on good terms, but as Tanaka gets older, he finds that he really just needs to get out, and find his own place." Marian put a hand in front of Tanaka. 

    Tanaka clapped. "Amen to that! Yeah, I guess every young adult comes across that phase in their life. Finding out that you don't exactly agree with the upkeep of your childhood home anymore, you know?" 

    "I understand, yes. I went through that phase once myself too. It's what motivates every young adult to get their own place." Cravius smirked, enchilada sauce stuck in his beard. "Well, do you want to know my motivation for going against driving?" 

    "Hm. Well, I guess I was going to ask it, anyway, one of these days. Sure." 

    "This activity you call 'driving'- Private transportation... is incredibly chaotic. People are hurt every day from it. Not a single day goes by where some huge accident doesn't happen, costing money... and lives. The world is... a broken bone, you know? To leave something as dangerous as cars in the hands of common people- It isn't right. It's like... firearms."

     "Whoa," Tanaka put his hands out. "I'm not trynna own a gun or anything, man!" 

     "Hmph. You see, I was... almost killed in a car-wreck. Instead, my parents took the blows for me- Physically. And, since then... I've been an orphan. I've always gone to dye my hair blue in the name of... the blue tears I cried that day." 

    Tanaka stared on, a knot in his throat. "W- Whoa. I'm... sorry. You people, who are part of this organization, you have your own reasons for it, I can imagine. You must have your own dreams and validations- You must think you're the good guys! And... I don't want to take those away, but... I also don't want you guys taking my driving away!" Tanaka slammed his fist on the outdoor table, silverware clanking. "It gets lonely, okay? Super, super, super fucking lonely! If I can't drive on my own to go out and see the people who matter to me... I'm stuck inside my house all day, just looking online to see what the next biggest critic has said about the next biggest block-buster, from the next biggest movie-company! I need to get out. I need to get a job. But first... and really, last... I need to drive." 

    "Hm. Loneliness seems to be on all our plates of inspiration. That's what the Inquisitor talked about some of the time, too." Cravius sighed. 

    "What? Just... who exactly is this Inquisitor?" 

    "He's spoken before about someone, though I forget her name. He said that ever since that day... he's never quite been the same. He's been a lonelier man, but also a happier man at the same time. I feel as though he's just manic. You know, you and him... sound like you're cut from the same cloth. From what I can tell, you both seem to be fighting the same enemy- Loneliness." 

    "Well, I don't know who this man is, so... I can't really be all gun-ho about saying clichés like, 'I'm nothing like him'! or whatever, but..." Tanaka chewed on his bottom lip. "it just... sucks. And now, I'm so glad I can finally say- Now I can finally say that I'll soon be able to visit my friends whenever I want! As well as to start applying, confidently, to jobs. I can live the right way. I don't have to be dependent on anyone ever again, because so long as driving is illegal in L.J., then, um- Well." 

    "Yes?"  

    Brown, beefy bangs fell over Tanaka's eyes. "Then you can expect to see me hanging around only Ajax and Heiligram... for the rest of my life." 

____________